Lesson Plan - Be Part of the Solution

Information For Teacher

Title: Be Part Of The Solution

Character Traits: Trustworthiness & Responsibility (Grades 6-8)

Materials Needed: White board & Markers. Also print off a copy of the 12 additional skit situations called "Be Part Of The Solution Skits" found on the following web site: http://askdjlyons.com/Character_Education.html

Cognitive/Instructional Objectives:

1. Student will gain an understanding of why it is more trustworthy and responsible to be part of the solution rather than to be part of the problem.

Emotional Objectives:

1. I value other people; therefore, I strive to be part of the solution rather than the problem.

2. I want people to like and respect me; therefore, I control in what ways I get involved in other peoples' conflicts and I control how I act and react to others.

Behavioral Objectives:

1. Students will decrease the number of times they interact negatively with teachers, friends, acquaintances, and family members.

2. Students will be more conscious of how they interact with others can be either viewed as trustworthy and responsible or as not being responsible or trustworthy; therefore, they will increase the number of times they act in responsible and trustworthy ways.

Concepts Covered: Critical-Thinking Skills, Oral-Speaking Practice; Conflict Resolution Concepts: (Diplomacy & Being Respectful & Demonstrating Tolerance)

Glossary Of Terms:

Solution is the method or process of solving the problem or conflict; the answer to a problem.

Lesson Length: 45 to 100 minutes

5-10 minutes: Step 1: Preliminary Discussion on Being Part Of The Solution

15-20 minutes: Step 2: Six Bloom's Taxonomy Discussion Questions

20-60 minutes: Step 3: Act Out 12 Skit Situations found on Web (see web link above)

5-10 minutes: Step 4: Wrap-Up Discussion on Being Part Of The Solution

Student Lesson

Step 1: Preliminary Discussion On Being Part Of The Solution

Note to Teacher: Write the following quote on the board:

"Don't Be Part Of The Problem. Be Part Of The Solution!" (author unknown)

a. Ask the "K" question of the K-W-L MODEL.

Teacher Asks:What do you know about what that quote means?

b. Ask the "W" question of the K-W-L MODEL.

Teacher Asks:What do you want to know about what that quote means?

c. Discuss Glossary Of Terms.

Teacher Asks: What does the word solution mean?

(answer: the method or process of solving the problem or conflict; the answer to a problem.)

d. Discuss 2 Essential Questions.

1. Teacher Asks: How can being part of the solution make you a trustworthy person? How can being part of the problem make you NOT so trustworthy?

2. Teacher Asks: Why is it your responsibility to be part of the solution rather than the problem?

Step 2: 6 Bloom's Taxonomy Discussion Questions To Follow Quote Discussion.

a. Ask the Knowledge Question.

Teacher Asks: Recall and tell what that quote means.

(answer: When there is a conflict, make certain your actions help to solve the conflict rather than to keep the conflict going.)

Note to Teacher: For Questions 2-6, have students act the skit out the negative way first. Then have the students act it out the positive way. Afterwards, discuss which method is being more trustworthy and responsible and have them explain why.

b. Ask the Comprehension Question & choose students to act it out in skit form.

1. Teacher Asks: Two of your friends are fighting. Interpret how you can follow through on this quote with those two friends.

(Answer: Rather than taking sides and possibly ending up being part of their problem, instead be part of the solution by helping the two of them work through their conflict toward a win-win solution.)

c. Ask the Application Question & choose students to act it out in skit form.

Teacher Asks: You were tardy to class once again. A teacher or substitute gave you write-offs or deducted one or more points from your Behavior grade. Demonstrate how you could handle this situation so that you are not being part of the problem any longer, but instead, being part of the solution.

(Answer: Some possible answers are: apologize sincerely, try not to be tardy again, have a pleasant attitude, and accept the consequences calmly.)

d. Ask the Analysis Question & choose students to act it out in skit form.

1. Teacher Asks: A teacher is getting ready to fill out his or her report cards. A student is on the border-line of making either a "D" or a "C," a "C" or a "B," or a "B" or an "A." The teacher starts recalling how that particular student behaved, whether or not the student did that "attitude thing," and the amount of effort the student seemed to put forth in class. Diagnose what might help the teacher decide to give the student the higher grade as opposed to the lower grade?

(Answer: If a student is well behaved, has a good attitude, and puts forth an effort to succeed and complete his or her work, it is much more likely the teacher will round the grade up to the higher grade rather than round it down to the lower grade.)

e. Ask out Synthesis Question & choose students to act it out in skit form.

Teacher Asks: One or two students are disrupting the class in such a way that they are bringing learning to a halt. Some students are laughing at their antics in a disruptive fashion. The teacher is about to punish the whole class in some way. Without disrupting the class, find an unusual way to not be part of this problem, but instead, be part of the solution of convincing or encouraging or positive peer pressuring those students to cooperate.

(Accept Reasonable Answers)

f. Ask the Evaluation Question & choose students to act it out in skit form.

Teacher Asks: A teacher or substitute gets mad at you for acting in an inappropriate fashion. Evaluate what your responsibility is in this situation.

(Answer: To quickly stop the misbehavior in a calm and polite fashion.)

Step 3: Class should now act out additional skits on being part of the solution rather than being part of the problem. Act it out the negative way first and then the positive way. Discuss which method is being more trustworthy and responsible and have them explain why. You might even want to divide the class into groups of 3 or 4 and have them create their skits based on the 12 situations found on the web. You can find the 12 skit situations on the web(see page 1 for Web Link)

Step 4: Wrap-Up Discussion On Being Part Of The Solution

a. Ask the "L" question of the K-W-L MODEL.

Teacher Asks: What have you learnedabout what that quote means?

Step 5: Discuss Character Education Concepts.

1. Teacher Asks: There are two Character Education Concepts that were covered in this lesson. The first is being Trustworthy. What parts of the skits and discussion we participated in describe any ways that someone can demonstrate being more Trustworthy?

2. Teacher Asks: A second Character Education Concept that was covered in this lesson is Responsibility. What parts of the skits and discussion we participated in describe any ways that someone can demonstrate being more Responsible?

3. Teacher Asks: Give examples of ways that the skits and our class discussion also demonstrated how to show Self Control? Caring & Giving? Justice? Leadership? Being A Good Citizen? Respect & Self Respect? Respecting & Valuing Authority?